Email content writing is the process of crafting compelling written content for emails. Done effectively, email content writing can help engage subscribers, build brand awareness, convert leads into customers, and drive other important marketing goals. With the average American receiving 121 business emails each day according to a recent study, it’s important for marketers to stand out with high-quality written content.
The goal of effective email content writing is to provide value to readers in a way that aligns with your brand’s messaging and voice. It should be educational, entertaining, or solution-oriented in nature. Readers want to feel like they wasted no time opening your email, so your content needs to grab their attention right away through an attention-getting headline or introductory paragraph. Consider including relevant and useful information that helps readers versus just promoting your products or services.
Test different subject lines to see which perform best at drawing people into opening your emails. Popular types of subject lines include questions, lists, tips, deals and discounts. Callouts with specific numbers, percentages or dollar amounts can also pique curiosity. Don’t make your subject line misleading by insinuating something the email content fails to deliver on. This is a surefire way to damage trust and engagement over time.
Within the email body, lead with your strongest and most compelling information upfront. Provide real value before pitching any sales messages or calls-to-action. Use informative and conversational language, while maintaining brand voice and style guide parameters. Short paragraphs, bulleted lists and visual elements like images keep content scannable and easy to digest on mobile. Consider including social proof like customer reviews or testimonials to increase credibility.
Keep content lean yet robust. Avoid information overload by highlighting just one to three main points supported by relevant details or stories. Edit ruthlessly to maintain focus and flow. Run drafts by others to identify areas for improvement before sending. Continually test different content formats, styles and messaging approaches to identify highest-performing templates over time. Personalize content for different subscriber segments whenever possible too.
Be sure to clearly direct readers to a specific call-to-action at the end that moves them towards the outcome you desire, whether that’s signing up, downloading a resource, scheduling a demo or making a purchase. Calls-to-action should stand out visually and clearly explain what readers need to do next using compelling benefit-driven language. Include relevant tracking codes and codes to optimize for delivery and tracking purposes too.
Mastering email content writing also means adhering to best practices for design and formatting. Use an easy-to-read font, avoid small or low-contrast text, and employ ample whitespace for breathing room. Break up long blocks of text with visual separators. Place important info like your company name, logo and social icons consistently in header or footer sections. Apply brand colors, fonts and other style elements for visual cohesion across channels. Test content in various email clients and on mobile to ensure it renders well everywhere.
Give subscribers a reason to welcome your emails versus seeing them as clutter. Provide value upfront through informative, solution-oriented content. Test and optimize templates consistently based on analytics to improve open and click-through rates over time. With compelling email content that engages and moves readers, you can successfully achieve key marketing and revenue goals.